Press Room
Letter to the Wall Street Journal
April 17, 2006
Letters to the Editor
Wall Street Journal
200 Liberty Street, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10281-1015
To the Editor:
Getting more American college students abroad for part of their education is one of the most important things we can do to boost the United States’ capacity for responsible global leadership and to show a better face of America to the world. Internationally educated citizens – with foreign language skills and an understanding of the world beyond our borders – are essential to our foreign policy.
The good news is that students are demanding more and better study abroad opportunities, in less-explored corners of the globe and across a wider range of academic fields. On-campus barriers too often prevent American students from taking advantage of study abroad opportunities (“Colleges Impose Restrictions On Study-Abroad Programs,” April 12), but there is much more to the story.
When an institution recognizes study abroad as a central element of a quality undergraduate education and commits to making it possible for more students, remarkable growth in participation is possible. Successful strategies include working with other institutions to pool resources; emphasizing the development of programs whose costs do not exceed that of studying on campus; streamlining institutional processes and procedures; and creating endowments and scholarships with dedicated fund-raising.
Today study abroad stands at a historic crossroads. A federal commission last year recommended a national program that would dramatically increase study abroad participation. To meet this goal, the commission identified two needs: Strong national leadership, and federal funding that would not only provide direct scholarships, but would encourage institutions to take steps to address on-campus barriers to study abroad. This kind of leveraging is critical to increasing the numbers. It is now time for Congress to act to make such a program a reality, and for higher education and government to commit to working together to elevate study abroad to its proper position: among the indispensable components of our students’ academic preparation in the global age.
Marlene M. Johnson
Executive Director & CEO
NAFSA: Association of International Educators
Letters to the Editor
Wall Street Journal
200 Liberty Street, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10281-1015
To the Editor:
Getting more American college students abroad for part of their education is one of the most important things we can do to boost the United States’ capacity for responsible global leadership and to show a better face of America to the world. Internationally educated citizens – with foreign language skills and an understanding of the world beyond our borders – are essential to our foreign policy.
The good news is that students are demanding more and better study abroad opportunities, in less-explored corners of the globe and across a wider range of academic fields. On-campus barriers too often prevent American students from taking advantage of study abroad opportunities (“Colleges Impose Restrictions On Study-Abroad Programs,” April 12), but there is much more to the story.
When an institution recognizes study abroad as a central element of a quality undergraduate education and commits to making it possible for more students, remarkable growth in participation is possible. Successful strategies include working with other institutions to pool resources; emphasizing the development of programs whose costs do not exceed that of studying on campus; streamlining institutional processes and procedures; and creating endowments and scholarships with dedicated fund-raising.
Today study abroad stands at a historic crossroads. A federal commission last year recommended a national program that would dramatically increase study abroad participation. To meet this goal, the commission identified two needs: Strong national leadership, and federal funding that would not only provide direct scholarships, but would encourage institutions to take steps to address on-campus barriers to study abroad. This kind of leveraging is critical to increasing the numbers. It is now time for Congress to act to make such a program a reality, and for higher education and government to commit to working together to elevate study abroad to its proper position: among the indispensable components of our students’ academic preparation in the global age.
Marlene M. Johnson
Executive Director & CEO
NAFSA: Association of International Educators
